Arlington exec bets better races will fill grandstand

Steve Sexton is betting a higher profile and a higher grade of horseflesh will keep Arlington Park in the race against riverboat casinos.

Mr. Sexton, 41, was named president of the Arlington Heights racetrack and senior vice-president of Louisville, Ky.-based Churchill Downs Inc.'s Illinois operations last month, only three months after joining Arlington as executive vice-president in charge of marketing.

The move is the first major change in the track's senior management since Churchill Downs acquired it last September from Richard L. Duchossois and his Elmhurst-based Duchossois Industries Inc.

Mr. Sexton replaces Scott Mordell, who had served as Arlington's president and CEO since 1995. Mr. Mordell will stay in Mr. Duchossois' fold as an executive vice-president at Duchossois Industries.

Unlike Mr. Mordell, who had a background in finance and accounting, Mr. Sexton has focused on sales and marketing during his 19 years in the horse-racing industry. Most recently executive vice-president and general manager of Lone Star Park in Texas, Mr. Sexton says it's no coincidence that someone with a marketing background was selected for Arlington's top job.

"One of our biggest challenges is to make sure that Arlington is top of mind when people are thinking about how they're going to spend their time, and our biggest competition is gaming and other entertainment options," he says.

Among other things, Mr. Sexton hopes to boost attendance and wagering on Arlington's races by bringing higher-quality horses to the track. He intends to continue existing promotions such as the track's Friday Party in the Park to attract younger and new visitors. He's also working to get more of Arlington's races televised on major networks.

One of the cornerstones of his plan is landing the Breeders' Cup, a multi-race contest that rotates among tracks around the country but hasn't come to Arlington yet. The purse for each race runs at least $1 million and as high as $4 million.

Industry observers say Mr. Sexton's largest hurdle will be drawing newcomers to the track, especially with glitzy new riverboat casinos on the horizon for the Chicago area.

"Churchill is a great corporation," says Edward Duffy, chief operating officer of Sportsman's Park in Cicero. "But like everyone else, they'll have to keep developing ways to bring newcomers in the door and then make things exciting enough to bring them back."